The worst levels of air pollution are generally found in the developing world, where headlong growth stirs up construction dust and energy providers still burn a lot of coal. But the air in London is dangerously polluted, too, with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in some parts of the city measuring among the world’s highest. The foul air is a testament to the polluting power of buses, cars and trucks – and the need for governments everywhere to keep them operating within limits.
In 2014, London’s major shopping thoroughfare, Oxford Street, was by one measure the most polluted street on Earth; by Jan. 5 of this year, parts of London had already exceeded pollution limits for all of 2017.
Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and particulates in the air damages human lungs and blood vessels. Such pollution is responsible for nearly 9,500 premature deaths in London alone, a 2015 report found. The only way to clear the air is to tighten emissions standards and drastically reduce the number of polluting vehicles.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to give cab drivers incentives to upgrade to cleaner vehicles and intends to replace diesel double-decker buses with electric or hydrogen-run ones. He has also promised to speed up the introduction of ultra-low emission zones, in which vehicles are charged a hefty daily fine for not meeting exhaust standards, in addition to congestion charges.
The U.K. government has so far been slow to help, partly because of concerns over costs and fears of inconveniencing drivers. Britain will now have to move quickly to create clean-vehicle incentives, accelerate and expand the introduction of clean air zones around the country, and introduce requirements for more-accurate diesel emissions testing. Cities can grow cleaner, as even Delhi and Beijing are starting to reveal. But in every case, it requires firm limits on cars, trucks and traffic.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
